Phil Thompson says Liverpool have a 19-year-old who’s having the same problem as Steven Gerrard

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Liverpool youngster Calvin Ramsay is having similar problems as a young Steven Gerrard experienced at Anfield.

Ramsay has struggled to get over niggling injuries during his stint at Liverpool so far, making just two first team appearances. But according to Thompson, the 19-year-old shouldn’t be too worried about that.

“It has been difficult for Calvin because he has had lots of injuries,” the 69-year-old told The Herald. “We are waiting to see a bit more of Calvin. He is probably just growing. But I can remember a young Steven Gerrard having the same sort of problems and he did alright.”

Once he puts his injury troubles behind him, Thompson has backed Ramsay to push on and become Liverpool’s back-up right-back.

“Calvin is probably looking at James Milner and Joe Gomez playing at right back and thinking he could be an understudy once he is fully fit,” he said. “They have got to have that ambition – and I think Ben [Doak] and Calvin have both got that. Yes, it will be tough for them to make the breakthrough, but it is tough everywhere.”

Ramsay playing catch-up at Liverpool

There’s no dressing it up, Ramsay’s first season at Liverpool has been a huge disappointment. Brought in with the hope of being an immediate understudy to Trent Alexander-Arnold, the Scotland international simply hasn’t been able to get fit.

It didn’t help that Ramsay was actually injured upon signing for the Reds. Unable to get any pre-season minutes under his belt at all, the teenager was at a disadvantage straight from the start.

Since then, things have continued to follow the same trajectory. Ramsay did belatedly make his first team debut, and looked decent in two games against Napoli and Derby County.

There was a flicker of hope that he’d be able to push on after the World Cup break in the winter. But injury reared it’s head again and has never gone away.

Having had surgery on a problem in February, Ramsay should be ready by the time pre-season rolls around once again. It’s absolutely crucial that he makes an impression on Jurgen Klopp and co. In his absence Conor Bradley’s stock has risen and the Northern Irish man looks best placed to make the second-choice spot his own.

Gerrard eventually moved on from his early injuries to become arguably the greatest player in Liverpool’s history. If Ramsay can leave anything like that legacy at Anfield it would be a major surprise.